Dalembert uses his voice to raise Rockets’ game

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Before he signed with the Rockets, he said he would learn what their defense would need and he would bring it. When he worked his way through his own in-season training camp, he said he would patrol their paint and make it his own.

Dalembert told his teammates they would be able to count on him to watch their backs. But they hear much more now.

“I keep communicating,” Dalembert said. “I keep telling them, ‘Send him left, send him left.’ They are loving it. And as you are playing defense, you keep communicating. ‘Send him left. No. No. No. You’re by yourself.’ Things like that. When you are communicating, you make it easy for me. Then they get comfortable to defend their man.”

Since becoming a starter, Dalembert has helped key the Rockets’ turnaround not just with his own play but by influencing the play around him. The Rockets have cut back on the defensive breakdowns that marked the first two weeks of the season. But they have also defended more aggressively and confidently, knowing there is a mobile, defensive-minded center behind them.

“It’s unbelievable,” guard Kevin Martin said. “It’s like I always tell Sam, ‘I’m bringing everybody to you.’ It’s good having somebody back there. It makes a difference. Being an offensive player, I know what it’s like when you have shot blockers back there.

“As a team, we know we can play great defense. It’s just a matter of actually doing it. We’ve been doing it. Coaches, they implemented a great system. As long as we keep on following that and just play hard, we’re fine defensively. Just follow the game, what the coaches tell you, and if you make a little mistake, Big Sam is going to be right back there waiting to clean it up for you.”

In the season’s first seven games, the Rockets allowed an average of 102.9 points, with opponents hitting 50.3 percent of their shots, 30.8 percent of their 3-pointers.

In Dalembert’s seven starts, Rockets opponents are averaging 92.7 points, making 42.2 percent of their shots and 27.5 percent of their 3-pointers.

‘Help him help us’

The schedule was clearly more difficult in the first seven games. In the seven games since Dalembert became a starter, Charlotte, Sacramento, Detroit and Washington brought matchups with poor offensive teams. But recent games also pitted the defense against San Antonio, Oklahoma City and Portland, with the Rockets more effective defensively in those games than against the weak teams on the schedule.

“I’m very amazed at how we grasped the idea of us playing team defense very fast,” Dalembert said. “We see that when we watch tape. … We keep talking to each other, and we hold each other accountable. If I go for a block and somebody didn’t get my man, I’ll say, ‘Next time you need to get my man.’ If somebody is coming up there and gets by you, I’ll take care of it.

“I think we know for a short season and not being able to practice together, that showed a level of maturity.”

Last season, the Rockets were able to make do defensively by relying on Chuck Hayes’ strengths in one-on-one matchups and switches. Dalembert offers protection at the rim and a presence.

“Been awhile since we had height like that inside,” guard Kyle Lowry said. “Yao (Ming) wasn’t a shot blocker, but having Yao there helped. After the last couple years, having Sam really helps. We had Chuck. He wasn’t a shot blocker, but he gave us what he could. Sam gives us that 7-foot big body.

“He always says bring them to him, bring him the guys if guards beat us, just help on his man when he helps us. Help him help us. He’s given us that inside presence, makes guys think twice about going in there.”

In the Rockets’ four-game winning streak, Dalembert took apart two young centers who arrived on a roll. The Kings’ DeMarcus Cousins had a streak of four double-doubles, averaging 18.3 points and 13.5 rebounds in those games. Dalembert held him to four points and four rebounds. The Pistons’ Greg Monroe had averaged 25.3 points and 10.7 rebounds in his previous three games. He had four points and 11 rebounds.

A force on both ends

As a starter, Dalembert is making 64.7 percent of his shots, averaging 10.7 points and 9.4 rebounds. He averaged six points and 5.7 rebounds off the bench.

But the Rockets are not as concerned with his numbers as they are with his impact on their play as a whole.

“I was telling the guys I have to have fun, too,” Dalembert said of his offense. “On defense, I say, ‘Play as hard as you can, and if you get beat, don’t worry about it. Just run to my man. Put a body on my man, and I’ll take care of it one-on-one.’ They start doing that. They start loving it.”